DUTCH MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy grilled EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger over the appointment of Martin Selmayr to secretary general, claiming the Commission will have a lot of work to do to remedy the damage it has done to the international reputation of the European Union.

The German Commissioner in charge of Budget and Human Resources replaced EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a questioning session over the appointment of Mr Selmayr to secretary general.

The appointment of Mr Selmayr to the top EU position has raised many eyebrows within both the European Parliament and the international community after it emerged there had been no recruitment process.

During the hearing of the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee, Mr Gerbrandy took a swipe at Mr Juncker claiming EU officials had been watching a play scripted by him and his newly appointed secretary for months.

The Dutch MEP called on Mr Oettinger to push for the reversing of Mr Selmayr’s appointment in order to salvage the EU’s reputation ahead of the European Parliament election.

Mr Gerbrandy said: “On the basis of all the comments that we’ve had so far from the Commission, I have to say that it looks as if in the last few weeks and months we’ve been watching a play on the basis of a detailed script written by Mr Juncker and Selmayr, hopefully in that order.

“Nobody has seen that script, certainly not the walk-on part played by the 27 other Commissioners.

“It is within the rules but I think it goes beyond the limits of what is political and administrative integrity.

“Up to the 21st February, everybody was neatly following the script, but then the bad old outside world came in to call for overnighting, including the Parliament and journalist, and they didn’t follow the script.

“On the basis of all the information we have, what I see is a very carefully prepared political administrative coup and I have some questions to Mr Oettinger.

“I completely understand that President Juncker shared the information of the departure of Mr Italianer with Mr Selmayr but I don’t understand why he didn’t share that information with Mr Oettinger who was the Commissioner responsible.

“Isn’t that a motion of no confidence on the part of the President to the Commissioner who is actually responsible for staff matters?

“So, Mr Oettinger, do you not feel bypassed that you were not informed at the same time as Mr Selmayr three years ago about this?

“And Mr Juncker from the beginning said that he wanted to have a political Commission that would take political decisions and I’m rather afraid that the appointment of Mr Selmayr is an example of such political decisions.

“But political decisions have political consequences and the fallout from the appointment of Mr Selmayr is enormous.

Mr Oettinger do you not feel bypassed that you were not informed at the same time as Mr Selmayr?

Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy

“The reputation of the European Union, I think, is seriously damaged by this appointment.

“And in the response to our questions, we hear such denials that anything as happened.

“Please read the newspapers! This is going to have an impact and it’s going to overshadow the European elections next year.

“If this decision is not reversed, my question to the Commissioners is this: how is the European Commission going to remedy the damage that has been done?

“Because it’s really going to be necessary to do so.”

Critics have claimed Mr Selmayr’s appointment, rubber-stamped by commissioners last month, is an example of cronyism, and have been using the hashtag Selmayrgate to vent their frustration.

Jean-Claude Juncker greets colleagues with kisses and slaps

But Mr Juncker has remained defiant and has even threatened to quit if his protege is forced out.

The procedure used to appoint Mr Selmayr as the Commission’s Secretary-General from March 1 lacked integrity and transparency, several MEPs said in a 12 March plenary debate in Strasbourg.

The European Commission has previously insisted procedure was followed when hiring Mr Selmayr.

European Commission spokesman Mark English said: "The legal and procedural rules applicable to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General have been fully complied with. The suitability of the candidate is also beyond any doubt.

"The Commission is cooperating fully with the European Parliament and will provide the requested information through the usual process and channels."